UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Manchester United arrive in London concentrated solely on huge task of beating Barcelona at Wembley Stadium and trying to put aside the controversy involving Ryan Giggs

Record ID: 336129

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Manchester United arrive in London concentrated solely on huge task of beating Barcelona at Wembley Stadium and trying to put aside the controversy involving Ryan Giggs
  • Date: 27th May 2011
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 26, 2011) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) POLICE CAR PASSING IN STREET OF LANDMARK HOTEL HOTEL SIGN BUS PARKED BAGGAGE UNLOADED FROM BUS ON PAVEMENT METAL BOX WITH LABEL READING MANCHESTER UNITED SPECIAL SUITS FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ON PAVEMENT TEAM BUS ARRIVES MANCHESTER UNITED COACH ALEX FERGUSON STEPS OUT OF BUS R
  • Embargoed: 11th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom, United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVACX6SFUY9FY6BFVFLN6B049AIB
  • Story Text: Manchester United arrived on Thursday (May 26) at their base in London ahead of the Champions League final against Barcelona.
    The team, who won a record 19th English title, travelled by train to the English capital and are staying the Landmark Hotel in centre of the city.
    Coach Alex Ferguson is relying on the attacking partnership of Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez to provide the goals against the Spanish champions.
    But there is concern with 37 year-old veteran Ryan Giggs who has has endured a tsunami of publicity because of his role in trying to prevent the world's media from exposing an extra-marital affair.
    Giggs's case has become a cause celebre with his name mentioned in parliament and his photo on every front page. He was identified millions of times on the social networking platform Twitter.
    His vast experience and his acknowledged calm and maturity, built over the last 20 years and nearly 900 matches playing for his only club, cannot be under-estimated.
    There is little doubt he will start on Saturday and every reason to believe that, if all goes according to plan for United, he will make a major contribution to their success.
    Barcelona arrived in England late on Tuesday (May 24), two days ahead of their original schedule because of possible flight disruptions caused by volcanic ash from the eruption of the Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland.
    Last year, Barcelona had to travel by bus to Milan for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Inter after flights had been suspended over much of northern Europe due to another ash cloud from a different Icelandic volcano.
    After an arduous journey, Barcelona lost that match 3-1 and failed to reach the final, so the club decided that this year, they would travel before any possible airspace closures were implemented between Spain and Britain.
    With their original hotel in west London not available until Thursday (May 26), the squad are staying at the Grove Hotel in Watford, about 35 kilometres north of central London, for two days. The hotel has for a number of years been the base for the England soccer squad, and like the England team, Barcelona are using the Arsenal training ground at London Colney, just a few minutes drive from the hotel.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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